Tutankhamun's legend and treasures come to life in Brussels

The travelling exhibition ''Tutankhamun, his Tomb and his Treasures'' will be open to visitors in the exhibition halls of Tour & Taxis in Brussels from tomorrow/Wednesday 20 July. With its 1.000 exceptional pieces, the exhibition is the most complete retrospective ever made on the young Egyptian king.

It has been almost a century since British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamun's almost intact tomb on 4 November 1922. The exhibition starts from Carter's notes and is supplemented by black-and-white photographs taken during the discovery. This is how the visitor's journey of discovery begins.

"Every object in the exhibition is unique. But the most moving of all for me is the golden mask", says Egyptologist Zahi Hawass.

Tutankhamun ascended the throne as Pharaoh at the age of eight and died ten years later. The mystery and fascination surrounding his figure are comprehensively highlighted in the exhibition, through replicas of a golden chariot, the sarcophagus and the king's jewels, his dagger, amulets and figurines of deities, as well as more surprising objects such as the pharaoh's sandals. The burial chambers are brought to life through 3D technology.

"Every object in the exhibition is unique. But the most moving of all for me is the golden mask", says Egyptologist Zahi Hawass, referring to Tutankhamun's famous death mask. "It is truly an unparalleled masterpiece in the history of archaeology, created by an artist with golden hands."

The exhibition ''Tutankhamun, his Tomb and his Treasures'' has already been visited by some 7,5 million people in 40 cities around the world since it opened in 2008.

(BRV)

© PHOTO AFP / SOEREN STACHE